


Hush Little Baby

by Ravenclaw_Peredhel



Series: If I Should Fall [6]
Category: The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien, The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Angst, Canonical Character Death, Character Death, Death, F/M, Gen, Gil-galad's Death, Heavy Angst, Pre-Canon, battle of dagorlad, in the background - Freeform, technically
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-03-16 14:48:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28832931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ravenclaw_Peredhel/pseuds/Ravenclaw_Peredhel
Summary: The last Queen of the Exiles bent over her son's broken body, no longer able to even weep.Sauron was dead, and the elves deemed him ended.But so was Ereinion Gil-galad. So was her son.
Relationships: Elrond Peredhel & Original Female Character(s), Ereinion Gil-galad & Original Female Character(s)
Series: If I Should Fall [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2023415
Comments: 24
Kudos: 17





	Hush Little Baby

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Rogercat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rogercat/gifts).



> For Rogercat, inspired by the death scene of Maedhros and Rûsa in Painful Meetings

There was a sickening _thunk_.

Time stood still. The hosts of Mordor roared.

And Ereinion Gil-galad fell. The shards of his spear rained to the ground about him, and a pool the colour of his father's banner spread from the gaping cavity in his chest. 

Merenel was suddenly beside him, never knowing how she got there, only knowing that her son, her firstborn, her beloved Tintillion was lying on the ground, and there was a hole in his chest, and she could see the air bubbling out of his lungs through the blood, and it was her son, the first child she had born, and it was his flesh rent and torn, not hers. A high keening wail broke from her lips as she lifted her son's head into her lap and took off his helm. His face was so pale, and it was twisted with pain as he struggled to breathe, and she could not breathe either as she watched her son struggling because she was helpless to do anything for her precious precious little boy. 

"Ammë." Another wail broke from her lips at her son's voice, usually so strong and clear and _powerful_ , thin and cracked and weak. "Ammë." She held him to her tightly, not wanting to let him go, unable to let her go. "Ammë...it hurts...please." Gil-galad, the proud and mighty last High King of the Noldor was also Tintillion, the star-eyed child of her youth and joy, and she could do nothing for him and it hurt her so much. 

She gulped back the mourning wails, trying to give her son what comfort she could. It was not much, it was so little, and what use would it be? The battle raged around them but Elrond protected them, and she heeded it not. If she looked only at her son's eyes, still as bright a starlit grey as they were when she could count her centuries on one hand, and they sat beneath the trees of Formenos as she sang a lullaby to her sleepy little boy. 

Her voice was thin and strained, fighting against the sobs that threatened to overwhelm her. But the ancient, familiar tune still was clear, and her son smiled, even as he struggled to breathe, his face for a moment, that of the little elfling he was so long ago.

"Hush, little baby don't say a word  
Papa's gonna buy you a mocking bird"

His face was so pale, so pale it was like one of the many many statues Nerdanel had made of her first grandchild. 

"And if that mocking bird don't sing  
Papa's gonna buy you a diamond ring"

But his eyes, they were no statue's cold carven orbs, still a grey so bright it was all but white, and shining as though they were indeed stars.

"And if that diamond ring is brass  
Papa's gonna buy you a looking glass"

Blood was pooled all around them, dark and shining, even beneath the smog of Mordor. There was so much of it. So much blood. Her son's blood.

"And if that looking glass gets broke  
Papa's gonna buy you a billy goat"

The armour that shone so brightly, so clearly, was dimmed with dirt and stained with blood. It was pounded right into his chest and it heaved and creaked with each laboured breath.

"And if that billy goat don't pull  
Papa's gonna buy you a cart and bull"

Her voice trembled, and a tear dropped onto her son's upturned face. It did not even twitch.

"And if that cart and bull turn over  
Papa's gonna buy you a dog called Rover"

He was barely breathing, and the blood was no longer pumping out of his chest with the regularity of a heartbeat. She could not even hear his heart anymore.

"And if that dog called Rover don't bark  
Papa's gonna buy you a horse and cart"

He was so cold. Perhaps she really was holding a statue. 

And if that horse and cart turn round  
You'll still be the sweetest little baby in town  
Still be the sweetest little baby in town

Grey starlit eyes fixed on hers, with all the innocent trust of the child he had once been. Even as she watched, the fire behind them dimmed, and went out.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her son as he was when he was a child, laughing and wild and so happy, and and her husband held their firstborn in his arms, as they turned their faces to the West. 

The last Queen of the Exiles bent over her son's broken body, no longer able to even weep. 

Sauron was dead, and the elves deemed him ended.

But so was Ereinion Gil-galad. So was her son.


End file.
